


The Next Right Thing

by CuriosityKilldTheKat



Category: Fallout (Video Games), Fallout 4
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Soulmates, F/M, Musicals, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-04-04
Updated: 2020-04-10
Packaged: 2021-02-28 23:26:49
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 4
Words: 4,589
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23485279
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CuriosityKilldTheKat/pseuds/CuriosityKilldTheKat
Summary: Áine Phillips is left reeling after her husband is murdered and her child is stolen. Broken, she wanders the commonwealth. But deep down she feels this tugging, and hears this song. She knows what it means. But is she strong enough to find her soulmate, after losing every thing once before?Musical soulmates AU. Using songs from Frozen 2 and various other musicals because they just seemed to fit.
Relationships: Robert Joseph MacCready/Female Sole Survivor
Kudos: 7





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I haven't wrote anything in a very long time. I'm sorry if this awful, I just wanted to try something new. Sole survivors name is Irish, and is pronounced "awn-ya." She's originally a non-american immigrant.

Cold. Everything was cold. No, not cold. _Freezing._ She was freezing. Panicking, Áine pounds at the glass in front of her. 

_Glass?_ _Where...._

Her thoughts are interrupted by a voice. "This is the one."

Suddenly, there are people. A women, she thinks, in a hazmat suit. And a man? They're opening Nate's pod. She bangs on the glass harder, hoping they'll hear her and open hers. She's so _cold._ They're speaking again, but she can barely hear them, sound muffled by the "decontamination pod" they had been put in. 

Nate is yelling something, and struggling. Áine makes out "not giving you Shaun" and begins to pound on the glass harder. No, not her baby. _Why did they want her baby? What is going on?_

The man points a gun at Nate, and then he's gone. Nate's head in pieces while these people, no, these _monsters_ stole her son. Her son. 

_Why? Why my son? Why did they kill Nate? What is going on? It's cold. It's cold and I'm going to die. I'm going to die...._

And then everything is black, and silent, and cold as Áine loses consciousness. 


	2. Waking Up

_It's fucking freezing. I can't breathe. I can't...._

The pod opens with a metallic hiss. Áine falls to her knees, lungs greedily sucking in the air she so desperately needs, only to cough it out. Her throat is sore, her lungs burn. 

_Where am I? What's going on?_

And then she remembers. The man. The woman who took Shaun. _Nate..._

Stumbling to her feet, Áine limps over to Nate's pod. _It wasn't a dream._ Her lips tremble as she looks in on what used to be her husband. Now just a body with a mangled face. _No._ Choking on her sobs, Áine crumbles to the floor. Why was this happening? What could she have possibly done to deserve this? Where was her son?

The questions circled in her mind until Áine couldn't think anymore. Her chest heaving, breaths coming too fast. Her mind felt like tv static. _A panic attack. I'm having a panic attack. I need to breathe. I need to calm down and think. Somebody stole my baby._

_Somebody stole my baby and shot my husband._

Áine resolved into more frantic sobbing. _What can I do? I'm just a housewife. I'm small, and afraid. It should've been me. It should've been ME._

Curling into a ball on the floor, Áine cried. And cried. And cried until there where no more tears and she had a headache. 

"I've seen dark before, but not like this.  
This is cold, this is empty, this is numb.  
The life I knew is over, the lights are out.  
Hello, darkness, I'm ready to succumb."

Her voice choked on a sob. Áine stood, looking at Nate one last time.

"I follow you around, I always have  
But you've gone to a place I cannot find  
This grief has a gravity, it pulls me down."

Still dry sobbing, Áine continued to the door, and into the hallway. 

"But a tiny voice whispers in my mind...  
You are lost, hope is gone.  
But you must go on  
And do the next right thing."

Resolve pounded in her chest. She was going to find Shaun. She owed him that much. She was his mother, and now, his only parent.

"Can there be a day beyond this night?  
I don't know anymore what is true.  
I can't find my direction, I'm all alone...  
The only star that guided me was you.  
How to rise from the floor?  
But it's not you I'm rising for?  
Just do the next right thing."

Stumbling down the hallway, Áine found a small security room with a spare lab coat in the locker. Looking through the terminal revealed some kind of power struggle between the overseer and the security staff. She pocketed the pack of cigarettes she found in the desk. She had quit when she got pregnant, but if there was ever a time to need a cigarette it was now. Continuing on, Áine found a security baton. She didn't know how useful it could be, but it was better to be prepared. 

"Take a step, step again.  
It is all that I can to do...  
The next right thing.  
I won't look too far ahead  
It's too much for me to take  
But break it down to this next breath, this next step  
This next choice is one that I can make."

She stomped on the giant cockroach in the mess hall. Everything in her was begging her to shut down. Only her will to see Shaun kept her going. Quickly rifling through the belongings of the long gone security officers gifted her a few more packs of smokes, and a couple of Bobby pins, allowing her to pin back her long Auburn hair. The last thing she needed was to be caught unawares because her stupid hair got in the way. Taking a deep breath, she steeled herself and continued on, smashing every bug that came her way. 

"So I'll walk through this night  
Stumbling blindly toward the light  
And do the next right thing."

The overseers office terminal revealed her worst fears, and a 10mm gun. _It had been an experiment? VaultTec had used them for whatever sick purpose._ _Why?_ She had seen the bombs fall. _Were all the vaults like this? Were there any humans even left?_ Her panic threatened to consume her. Shoving it down, Áine opened the access tunnel, coming into the room where she had obtained her vault suit. Two more bugs squashed, ammo found. She didn't know how to shoot a gun. And in these small spaces, she wasn't going to chance the ricochet hitting her. Prying the pip boy from the dead lab assistants arm, Áine strapped it to her own forearm. She was relieved to see it still worked. Putting the key in the slot, she waited as the elevator came down. There was no turning back now. Her baby was out there. And she was coming for the bastards that took him and any chance of happiness from her. The elevator began it's slow ascent. 

"And, with it done, what comes then?  
When it's clear that everything will never be the same again...  
Then I'll make the choice, to hear that voice...  
And do the next right thing."

Blinking, Áine took in the wreckage that used to be her refuge. Her neighborhood, destroyed. Sighing, Áine carefully made her way down the path, back to what used to be her home. 


	3. Home

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The song in this chapter is from the Beauty and the Beast Broadway production. It's called "Home" and is sung by Susan Egan who also voiced Megara in Hercules.

Talking with Codsworth had been... enlightening, to say the least. 200 years. That's how long she had been frozen. And somehow in that 200 or so years, bugs had apparently mutated to be fucking HUGE. Cows had 2 heads. In the past, they would've either been put down or put in a museum. Now they were commonplace. It seemed like all wildlife had grown an extra head, not to mention a few extra legs. Taking a deep breath, Àine steadies herself, sitting on the broken down couch in what used to be her living room. It seemed like just yesterday, she and Nate were sitting here with Shaun. And now... now everything was ruined. Her husband dead, her child stolen. 

_Who steals a baby? Babies need a lot of care. Are these people taking care of my son? Is Shaun getting enough to eat?_

Àine doubted it. Her breasts were heavy with milk, and hand expressing only helped so much. She was surprised when they had started leaking, thinking cryostasis would've put a stop to it. She knew some mothers had used cold compresses to lessen their milk supply. But her body hadn't gotten the memo, or maybe that's not it actually worked? She didn't know. Àine didn't know anything and that was frustrating. Codsworth had said there were people in Concord. 

"Yes, I made the choice

For Shaun, I will stay

But I don't deserve to to lose my happiness in this way

You monsters!

If you think that what you've done is right, well then, you're a fool!

Think again!"

But what kind of people were they? Somehow, Àine doubted this new world bred compassion and basic human decency. No, it seemed to her like the world had gone the opposite way. It reminded her of her childhood; scrounging for scraps, fighting for whatever she could get her dirty hands on. It left a bad taste in her mouth. Àine supposes she was lucky, to grow up how she did. Those skills could be useful on this kind of world. 

_And what kind of fucked up thought is that?I've never been proud of my past, made so much effort to conceal it. Now, it may be the only thing that saves me._ Àine thought bitterly. 

"Is this home?

Is this where I should learn to be happy?

Never dreamed

That a home could be dark and cold

I was told

Ev'ry day in my childhood:

Even when we grow old

Home should me where the heart is

Never were words so true!

My heart's far, far away

Home is too..."

This was bullshit. This wasn't how anything was supposed to be. She had worked hard, cleaned up her act. Even got adopted by a nice couple who took her to America. Gotten scholarship after scholarship to make them proud. She had been a good kid, a great student, a phenomenal dancer. Went to college to study chemistry, so she could provide for her aging parents. Then, she had met Nate. And it was all over after that. They hadn't been soulmates, but that didn't matter. Soulmates were so rare, that waiting around for yours was like waiting for rain in a drought. It might happen but it would take forever or even worse, never happen at all. 

So they had married. Settled down, bought a house. Nate retired from the military, Àine went to law school. It was safer, Nate had said. Chemistry was too dangerous right now, with wars being fought left and right. She had listened, like a good wife. Àine worked so hard to be _good._ To be whatever anybody needed her to be. So she never had to go hungry again, or sleep in the cold. Nobody would love her if they knew the truth. If they knew who she had been. Not even her parents knew everything she had been through or where she had really came from. 

"Is this home?

Is this what I must learn to believe in?

Try to find

Something good in this tragic place

Just in case

I should stay here forever

Held in this empty space...

Oh, but that won't be easy

I know the reason why

My heart's far, far away

Home's a lie..."

Pushing her morbid thoughts aside, Àine rose from her dilapidated couch. Could it even be called a couch? The thing was filthy, and missing stuffing in various places. Not to mention, it smelled like... Àine didn't even know what. Sighing, she made the choice to go see what Concord was all about. And if the people there wanted to play rough, well, Àine knew a thing about that, too. 

"What I'd give to return

To the life that I knew lately

But I know that I can't

Solve my problems going back..." 

Standing, Àine made her way through her ruined neighborhood. This world may not be like the one she left, but her baby was out there somewhere. She needed to continue on, even if everything in her wanted to shut down and deny this was happening. She needed to face reality. She needed to be strong. This world wasn't for the weak and kind hearted. She would need to be tough. It was never her forte, even when she herself had been wanting. Always sharing her food with the less fortunate, those who couldn't fight for scraps. She would need to be different, she would need to change. Cut out the parts that no longer fit, and patch herself back together. She needed to shut down her kind heart. Build walls around it and lock it away. Her child was waiting. And she'd be damned if she died before getting to him. 

"Is this home?

Am I here for a day or forever?

Shut away

From the world until who knows when

Oh, but then

As my life has been altered once

It can change again

Build higher walls around me

Change ev'ry lock and key

Nothing lasts, nothing holds

All of me

My heart's far, far away

Home and free"

This commonwealth was going to pay for taking her happiness from her. But first, Concord. And whatever was waiting for her there, good or bad. 


	4. Concord

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> No music in this chapter. I've never written combat before so go easy on me lol. I've also never shot a gun, so I watched some YouTube tutorials. Hopefully this all makes sense?

Àine had just crossed the bridge when she heard barking. 

_Are dogs still dogs or have they also mutated into some horrible monster?_

Continuing on cautiously, she found the source of the noise. It was a dog. A real, live, fluffy german shepherd. He walked up to Àine and gave her a curious whine. 

"Did you loose your owner, boy?" Bending down, she scratched behind his ears. He leaned into her touch, tongue hanging out. "Alright. You seem pretty okay, wanna come with me?" He barked what sounded to be an affirmation. Shaking her head, Àine walked over to what seemed to be an abandoned gas station. She remembered when her and Nate used to come her to fuel up and grab snacks before heading out into Boston. Àine longed for how simple life used to be. She found an abandoned medical kit, and in it some Stimpacks and radiation medication. Putting them in her small messenger bag, she was startled by the dog growling and barking. Turning, she went to see what he was barking at only to jump back when something burst out of the ground. 

_WHAT THE FUCK IS THAT!?_

It was almost the size of the dog and had no hair. 

_It couldn't be... was that...a MOLE RAT?_

Tripping over her feet, Àine fell straight on her ass. The mole rat lunged for her only to be taken out midair by the dog. He quickly snapped its neck and then looked at Àine like, get up before you get killed. Scrambling to her feet, Àine pulled the security baton out of her bag. She didn't know how well it would work against the mole rats, but it had to be better than nothing. 

She kicked the next one that ran over to her and smacked the other with her baton. It was stunned and gave the dog the chance to kill it. They fell into a pattern, she'd rough them up and he'd go in for the kill. Soon, there were none left. Panting, Àine sat down and hugged the mutt. She was sure she would've died if not for him. _And what a way to go,_ she thought bitterly. _Taken out by a fucking mole rat._

Climbing to her feet again, she stumbled into the gas station to find it had workshops of some sort. One looked like it was for clothing, as it had a sewing machine. The other had only God knows what attached to it. Tools of some sort. Nate would've known. The last one she was far more familiar with. It was a chemistry work table. It seemed to be missing anything she could use, though. She'd have to scavenge for components, but at least she knew how to use that one. On the tool bench, she found a machete. Picking it up, she did a few test swings. It seemed solid enough. Now those fencing lessons her parents had insisted she take didn't seem so useless. Granted, a machete wasn't anything like a fencing sword, but the mechanics had to be similar enough. Going through the rest of the gas station, she found a knife that she slipped into her bag, next to the 10mm and the ammo she had found. 

She called to the dog, and they set put towards Concord. She had just walked into town when the sound of bullets hit her ears. Crouching down, Àine snuck around buildings until she could see the source of the sound. There was one lone man, pinned down on a balcony while a group of people shot at him. They hurled obscenities, and the man popped out of cover to take a shot. He didn't miss, and was gone before any bullets could find their mark. This was unexpected. She felt the need to help this man, who was so badly outnumbered, but what could she do? All she had was a sword. And you don't bring a knife to a goddamn gunfight. Her choice was made for her, however, when she heard footsteps behind her. Àine spun around just as the man turned the corner. He took one look at her and a dangerous leer appeared on his face. Two more men appeared behind him. 

"Look what we have here, boys! A vaultie, sneakin' around. What are ya gonna do, princess? How about you come quietly, and we won't hurt that pretty face of yours?" They began to walk toward her, and Àine pulled out her machete. "Oh ho, ho. Looks like we got a fighter!" The first man pulled out a gun. The ones behind him were brandishing a tire iron and a baseball bat. "But you should know, princess, you don't bring a knife to a gun fight."

Àine silently called out for somebody, anybody to help her. The dog growled menacingly. 

\-----------------------------------------------------

MacCready woke up to a _splitting_ headache, and an awful pain in his chest. He had definitely drank too much last night. And this pain in his chest was getting worse. It had started 2 nights ago. He really needed to get it checked out. Didn't feel like a cracked rib, it felt deeper in his chest, like his heart was hurting. Sitting up, he was assaulted by a wave of nausea and a panicking feeling. 

_Not like this! I can't die like this! I need to get them off of me. I need..._

The voice was female. And she sounded panicked. What the fuck. No, it couldn't be. He had heard about soulmates, everyone had. But they were so rare, and the ones who had a soulmate... well, they either died before they met or shortly after. The world wasn't a place for shit like that. Maybe it once had been, but it wasn't any more. No, he had to be going fucking crazy. Even Lucy wasn't his soulmate. And if she wasn't he was sure he didn't have one. But then she was back, and he knew he was wrong. 

_Not again, never again. I have to get them off me. I have to fight. They'll shoot me either way. I'm not going down without at least giving these fuckers what they deserve._

And then it was silent. Nothing. No sound, no voice. Sighing, MacCready hauled himself out of bed, and got his gear ready. His soulmate was out there somewhere, and she needed help. Problem was, he didn't know where she was. She could be anywhere. he tried reaching out to her. 

_Hello? Miss?_

_Who the fuck? Ouch, shit._ She sounded panicked, out of breath. 

_Listen, tell me where you are. I can help you._

_Absolutely not. I don't know who you are. Fuck, I don't even know what's going on. Why is everyone so crazy?_

Fuck. Why did she have to be like that? He could understand being afraid but didn't she know what this meant? Something wasn't adding up. But, she very obviously needed help. MacCready tried again. 

_You obviously need help. I can help you. Just tell me where you are._

Silence. And then...

_Concord. I'm in Concord. There's bad people here. They tried to... they tried to hurt me. I've been shot, and my arm is broken. Those assholes kicked my dog._

A fresh wave of panic rolled over him. He had heard about the pain of losing your soulmate. About how it felt like being ripped apart. He had barely survived Lucy's death. He didn't think he could go through something like that again. The only thing keeping him going was Duncan and finding a cure. 

_Shit. Do you have any stimpacks?_

A pause, and then she spoke again.

_Yes, a few. I have experience with them. I'll be fine. But if you're coming, hurry._

Shit. Concord was at least a day away, if not two. Not to mention all the nasty shit from Goodneighbor to there. He was going to have to be careful. 

_Concord is about a day away. Can you last until then?_

_I have no choice._ And then she was gone again. MacCready tried to reach out but got no response. Fuck. He was going to have to run most of the way, but he'd get there. Hopefully he wouldn't be too late. 

\------------------------------------------------------

Standing, Àine wiped the blood from herself and took notice of her surroundings. The three men laid dead in their pools of blood. She had stabbed the first one in the gut, using the knife from her bag. It had took wrestling the guy off of her long enough for her to get it out of her bag, which luckily hadn't fallen behind her, but beside her. The second one had shot her, the third broken her arm with a bat. The one who shot her was missing a chunk on his arm, and had his throat ripped out, courtesy of her new furry friend. The man with the bat had a gash from his neck to his ribs. Àine had only ever killed one man before. 

_I killed them. They're dead. Oh God, I killed them. They were gonna... and I killed them._

She didn't know she had that kind of strength. Sure, she had kept up with Nate when he did his exercises from the military. She even did yoga. But to cut a gash that size... Bending over, she threw up what little food she had managed to get down that morning. The sound of more gunfire and a whine from her dog snapped her out of her daze. They were still in danger, and help was a day away. Not to mention that man trapped on the balcony. He needed her help. There was no way he could make it against this many people. Hands shaking, Àine pulled the gun from her bag. She had no idea what to do with it.

_Just point and shoot, right?_

She had watched Nate at the gun range. It didn't seem so hard. But Nate was solid, and had experience. He had tried to teach her how to shoot, but she had refused. What need would a housewife need a gun for? Now, she would've killed for the knowledge. She knew how to load the gun, had seen him do it enough times. Knew how to take the safety off. But she had no knowledge on how to actually shoot the damn thing. Except.... maybe that man knew how... no. She shouldn't reach out to him. She knew exactly who he was. It was stupid to tell him where she was, but she had been panicked. She had no interest in a.... well, she had no interest. Doesn't matter what biology had decided. She wasn't going to play along. He could help her, and then be on his merry way. But, she was trapped with no knowledge on how to use a gun, and lunatics all around her. He was coming anyway...

_Hey._

_Yeah?_ His voice sent shivers down her spine. He sounded out of breath. Was he running? Swallowing her pride, she asked him.

_Do you... do you know how to shoot a gun? Specifically, a 10mm._

_Are you saying you don't know how to shoot a gun?_ Now he sounded scared. And a little bit annoyed. Well, excuse her for not being a trigger happy idiot. 

_...Yes. Now, you said you were gonna help me. So help._

_Are you right or left handed?_

_What does that have to do with anything?_

_Just answer me, dammit._

_Right. I'm right handed._

_Stand with your legs shoulder width apart. Left foot slightly more forward. Bend your knees slightly. Lean forward a bit. If you stand upright, you'll lose balance._

_Okay, now what?_

_Keep both eyes open while you shoot. Closing one eye limits your field of view. Squint, look down your sights. Squeeze the slide and pull it back. Now there's a bullet in the chamber. Grip the pistol in your right hand. Finger off the trigger, parallel to the barrel._

_Okay._

_Left hand at at 40 degree angle. Wrap your fingers around, thumbs touching. Your finger on the barrel, and your supporting thumb should be even. Are they even?_

_Yes. They're even._

_Right arm and left arm need to be straight, locked tight. If you bend your elbows, you'll smack yourself on the face. Leave no space between your thumbs. Anticipate the recoil. The gun will be loud, don't let that spook you._

_Okay. I think I've got it. What happens if I miss?_

_Aim for center mass. If you miss, keep shooting until you don't. It's life or death so pray you don't miss._

Well, it was now or never. Àine crept around the side of the building, clutching the pistol, the pup hot on her heels. God, she hoped she didn't miss. She took aim at the first one, and shot him straight in the back. Her next shot caught a girl in her arm, then in her chest. Now there were 3 remaining, and they were all looking at her. Àine turned to run for cover behind a building, hearing the pounding of footsteps behind her. 

_Shit. SHIT._

The second one of them came around the corner she pulled the trigger. The gun lurched in her hand, but she had shot him in the face. She tried to grip the pistol again, but her hands were sweaty. It slipped out of her grasp. Panicking, she pulled put her machete again just as the other 2 rounded the corner. Swinging the sword, she caught the first one in the arm, and then in the neck. The second girl was ready for her and dodged her first swing. But underestimated how quick her dog was. He latched onto her arm, dragging her down, towards the pavement. When she fell to the ground, Àine swung for her neck. It made a sickening squelch as it connected. Retching, Àine again evacuated her stomach content. Shakily, she straightened and walked over to the museum. 

"HEY! I don't know who you are, but I need your help. I've got a group of settlers in here, and these raiders are almost through the door. Grab that laser musket and head inside." Àine stared at him. 

_Is he fucking kidding me? I just barely survived out here and now he wants me to fight more of these lunatics? Fuck. Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck. I don't have time for this. I need to find Shaun. ...But, if I don't help them, who will? There's nobody else around._

Àine knew she should've left. The immediate danger to her was gone. She had done her part, but her conscience nagged at her. They could have children up there. If that man was their only defense.... they wouldn't make it. 

Taking a deep breath, she stealed herself and headed into the museum.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please, please, please comment. As a writer it's pretty discouraging if nobody comments. Good or bad, I want to hear it. I'm always looking for ways to improve my writing, and comments help me do that.

**Author's Note:**

> Please leave constructive criticisms! If you liked it, if you didn't, I want to hear it all.


End file.
